考虑水合物胶结厚度的深海能源土粒间胶结模型研究

天然气水合物被公认是解决当前能源危机的潜在新型能源而备受关注。含水合物的海底土体称为深海能源土。水合物在能源土中有不同的赋存形式（如填充型水合物和胶结型水合物等）,由于胶结型水合物对整体强度的贡献比其他存在形式更大,尤其是饱和度较低的情况。针对于胶结型水合物的赋存形式进行研究,水合物作为胶结物质存在于土颗粒之间,胶结厚度会在一定范围内变化。为真实地反映此现象,通过对能源土试样的电镜扫描图片整理分析,获得水合物饱和度与粒间胶结厚度的函数关系。基于前期已经完成的不同粒间胶结厚度下胶结力学特性的试验研究成果,为探究胶结厚度变化对能源土体宏观力学特性的影响,建立了考虑水合物胶结厚度的能源土粒间胶结模型,并介绍此模型中相关胶结参数及其确定方法。     

三维离散元单轴试验模拟甲烷水合物宏观三轴强度特性

填充型水合物的砂性能源土试样可视为特殊的散粒体材料,即砂粒和水合物颗粒混合物,具有明显的非连续特征。为研究填充型水合物的能源土力学特性,初步探索了甲烷水合物在不同温度、反压条件下加荷模式的离散元模拟方法。离散元模拟中,将水合物块体视为由大量颗粒通过强胶结作用凝聚而成的整体,室内试验中的内部孔隙水压作用转化为水合物颗粒间的胶结力,故需要合理确定颗粒间胶结模型参数来实现反压的影响作用。通过参数反演建立了宏观强度、刚度参数与平行胶结模型的微观胶结参数间的宏、微观关系,基于已有室内甲烷水合物三轴试验资料,确定了给定温度和反压条件下的微观胶结参数取值,随后进行离散元单轴压缩试验。离散元单轴压缩试验模拟获得的水合物强度特性,与室内三轴试验结果符合较好;通过建立的宏、微观参数间的关系,实现了不同温度、反压下的水合物加荷模式的模拟。为进一步提出深海能源土离散元数值试验成样方法--孔隙填充水合物生成技术,形成含填充型水合物的能源土试样,研究其力学和变形特性奠定基础。     

考虑水合物填充和胶结效应的深海能源土弹塑性本构模型

水合物的填充效应和胶结效应增大了能源土的密实性和强度,使能源土呈现出类似于密实砂土或胶结土的性质。在黏土和砂土的统一硬化模型(CSUH模型)框架下,总结了能源土的力学性质,引入压硬性参量描述水合物对能源土填充和胶结双重作用下的等向压缩特性,引入黏聚强度修正屈服函数并构建了黏聚强度的演变规律,利用状态参数调整剪胀方程,反映能源土剪胀、软化等特性对密实度的依赖性,从而建立能够描述能源土强度、刚度、剪胀与软化等特性的弹塑性本构模型。编制了模型的测试程序,把模拟结果与能源土室内试验结果进行对比。结果表明:提出的弹塑性本构模型能够较好地描述能源土的应力-应变关系、剪缩硬化和剪胀软化等力学特性。     

基于统一硬化参数的深海能源土本构模型

深海能源土是指含天然气水合物（俗称"可燃冰"）的深海沉积物,其本构特性的模拟对可燃冰的安全开采至关重要。首先分析了水合物对能源土强度、剪胀和软化等力学特性的影响机理,水合物饱和度越大,对能源土力学特性影响越显著。然后在修正剑桥模型的基础上,通过引入水合物的饱和度和统一硬化参数来修正屈服函数,以反映水合物对能源土强度、剪胀、软化等特性的影响,建立了能考虑天然气水合物胶结作用形成及退化影响的深海能源土弹塑性本构模型,推导了相应的弹塑性矩阵。最后,通过模拟结果与已有能源土三轴试验数据对比分析,表明模型能很好地预测能源土强度、剪胀和软化等特性,验证了模型的合理性和有效性。     

一个深海能源土弹塑性本构模型

天然气水合物赋存在低温高压环境中,会在土颗粒间形成胶结从而增大深海能源土抗剪强度。基于损伤力学理论,将结构性砂土本构模型推广应用于深海能源土分析中,模拟计算了三轴固结排水剪切试验,再根据应力-应变曲线关系定量反演初始屈服系数与水合物饱和度之间的函数关系,并修正了原有的结构性砂土破损规律,建立了深海能源土弹塑性本构模型。另外,根据该模型模拟了另外一组深海能源土三轴剪切试验和等向固结压缩试验。计算结果表明：新建立的深海能源土本构模型可以有效模拟深海能源土剪切强度随水合物饱和度之间的增长关系;随着水合物饱和度的增加,三轴压缩试验中深海能源土峰值强度及割线模量(E50)逐渐增加,等向固结压缩试验中屈服强度增加,与试验结果有较好的一致性,表明了该模型的合理性。     

人工胶结砂土力学特性的离散元模拟

采用离散单元法（DEM）对胶结砂土力学特性进行模拟。将基于室内试验测得的理想胶结颗粒接触力学响应引入到开发的二维离散元程序（NS2D）中,模拟胶结砂土颗粒间的胶结作用。对不同胶结强度和围压的胶结砂土进行平面应变双轴压缩试验模拟,并将模拟结果与Wang和Leung[1]提供的人工胶结砂土的试验结果进行比较。最后对数值模拟中胶结试样的微观力学响应（接触力链、胶结点破坏率和位移场）进行分析。结果表明,离散元数值模拟能够有效地反映胶结砂土的主要力学特性,相比同一初始孔隙比的无胶结松散砂土,胶结砂土将具有更高的强度,应力-应变关系呈应变软化,体变为先剪缩后剪胀,且两者的差异随胶结强度的增大和围压的减小而越趋显著。此外,胶结砂土宏观力学响应（应力-应变关系和剪胀性）与其微观力学响应密切相关。     

水合物沉积物力学性质的三维离散元分析

水合物沉积物力学特性研究是天然气水合物开采领域中的热点问题。为深入了解水合物对沉积物力学特性的影响,在提出一个新的水合物沉积物离散元数值试样制备方法的基础上,模拟了不同水合物饱和度沉积物试样的三轴排水试验,并从其应力-应变关系、体变特性、弹性模量及峰值强度等方面对模拟结果及已有室内三轴试验结果进行了对比,然后利用该方法对具有不同微观胶结参数的水合物沉积物样进行了三轴离散元数值试验。研究结果表明：所提出的离散元模拟方法能较好地反映水合物沉积物的主要力学特性;天然气水合物与土颗粒间胶结性能的改变会对水合物沉积物的力学响应产生一定的影响;水合物沉积物强度和模量的增加是孔隙填充水合物和粒间胶结水合物共同作用的结果。     

考虑简化胶结模型的深海能源土宏观力学性质离散元数值模拟分析

根据蒋明镜等所提出天然结构性砂土微观胶结模型[1–2]及微观胶结试验结果[3–5],将该模型引入离散元商业软件PFC2D,进行能源土双轴试验离散元数值模拟分析,并同Masui等[6]能源土三轴试验结果进行对比分析,结果表明,蒋明镜等所提出胶结模型能够较好的模拟水合物的微观胶结力学行为,水合物胶结的存在对能源土强度具有一定的贡献。     

各向异性结构性砂土离散元分析

天然沉积砂土力学特性受各向异性及结构性影响明显,实际工程中不能忽视。为探究二者的影响,首先在二维离散元程序NS2D中采用椭圆颗粒模拟了重力场中颗粒长轴主方向为水平的各向异性净砂样,随后基于结构性砂土胶结厚度分布规律及室内试验提出了一个新的微观胶结接触模型并将其引入各向异性净砂样以模拟天然各向异性结构性砂土,最后对该离散元试样进行了双轴试验模拟,将模拟结果与室内试验结果对比以验证该模型的适用性,并对其微观力学特性变化进行研 究。分析结果表明,随着剪切进行,各向异性结构性砂土呈明显应变软化及剪胀现象;胶结接触逐渐减少,且主方向始终为竖向方向;胶结破坏速率及胶结破坏率变化情况与宏观力学响应较一致,且胶结物多为拉剪破坏;土颗粒排列主方向始终为水平向,且水平向排列颗粒所占比例略微增大。     

孔隙填充型能源土的宏微观力学特性真三轴试验离散元分析

天然气水合物沉积物因其作为绿色新型能源且具有广阔的开发前景而备受全球瞩目。水合物在水合物沉积物（俗称能源土试样）中有不同的赋存型式,如孔隙填充型和胶结型等。针对孔隙填充型水合物的赋存形态,生成特定饱和度的能源土试样。开展了同一 平面上不同中主应力系数（b = 0、0.25、0.50、0.75、1.00）的真三轴排水试验的三维离散元模拟,将微观参数接触组构及剪切滑移率的演化规律与材料的宏观力学响应相结合,分析了中主应力对孔隙填充型能源土的宏微观力学响应的影响。结果表明：强接触处组构张量的大、中、小主值随b的变化规律与大、中、小主应力及大、中、小主应变随b的变化规律表现出良好的相关性。三向应力状态下的破坏强度接近Lade-Duncan破坏准则。能源土试样剪切滑移率随着中主应力系数的增大而增大;当处于三轴拉伸状态时,试样的剪切滑移率最大。     

Study of mechanical behavior and strain localization of methane hydrate bearing sediments with different saturations by a new DEM model

This paper presents a numerical investigation into mechanical behavior and strain localization in methane hydrate (MH) bearing sediments using the distinct element method (DEM). Based on the results of a series of laboratory tests on the bonded granules idealized by two glued aluminum rods and the available experimental data of methane hydrate samples, a pressure and temperature dependent bond contact model was proposed and implemented into a two-dimensional (2D) DEM code. This 2D DEM code was then used to numerically carry out a series of biaxial compression tests on the MH samples with different methane hydrate saturations, whose results were then compared with the experimental data obtained by Masui et al. [9]. In addition, stress, strain, void ratio and velocity fields, the distributions of bond breakage and averaged pure rotation rate (APR) as well as the evolution of strain localization were examined to investigate the relationships between micromechanical variables and macromechanical responses in the DEM MH samples. The numerical results show that: (1) the shear strength increases as methane hydrate saturation S_MH increases, which is in good agreement with the experimental observation; (2) the strain localization in all the DEM MH samples develops with onset of inhomogeneity of void ratio, velocity, strain, APR, and distortion of stress fields and contact force chains; and (3) the methane hydrate saturation affects the type of strain localization, with one shear band developed in the case of 40.9% and 67.8% methane saturation samples, and two shear bands formed for 50.1% methane saturation sample.     

A bond contact model for methane hydrate‐bearing sediments with interparticle cementation

While methane hydrates (MHs) can be present in various forms in deep seabeds or permafrost regions, this paper deals with MH‐bearing sediments (MHBS) where the MH has formed bonds between sand grains. A bond model based on experimentally validated contact laws for cemented granules is introduced to describe the mechanical behavior of the MH bonds. The model parameters were derived from measured values of temperature, water pressure and MH density. Bond width and thickness adopted for each bond of the MHBS were selected based on the degree of MH saturation. The model was implemented into a 2D distinct element method code. A series of numerical biaxial standard compression tests were carried out for various degrees of MH saturation. A comparison with available experimental data shows that the model can effectively capture the essential features of the mechanical behavior of MHBS for a wide range of levels of hydrate saturation under drained and undrained conditions. In addition, the analyses presented here shed light on the following: (1) the relationship between level of cementation and debonding mechanisms taking place at the microscopic level and the observed macro‐mechanical behavior of MHBS and (2) the relationship between spatial distribution of bond breakages and contact force chains with the observed strength, dilatancy and deformability of the samples. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

饱和度对风化花岗岩边坡土体抗剪特性的影响

强降雨易诱发风化花岗岩边坡浅层滑坡,其滑坡滑动面多位于具有较大孔隙尺寸的强风化带。通过对广西玉林与梧州交界处风化花岗岩边坡浅层滑坡的现场勘查和对不同层位的土体进行物理力学试验,研究了饱和度对湿热地区风化花岗岩双层土质边坡抗剪强度的影响,发现两个风化带土体都存在一个“最优饱和度”使抗剪强度达到峰值,但饱和度对抗剪强度指标的影响规律不同,即饱和度对黏聚力影响很大,对内摩擦角影响很小;花岗岩全风化带与强风化带土体性质差异明显,尤其表现在饱和度影响下抗剪强度特性方面,从基质吸力理论和颗粒间胶结作用角度分析所发现的现象,可以清楚地解释产生差异的机制,为风化花岗岩边坡的开挖和滑坡的防治提供理论基础。     

Discrete element analysis of uplift and lateral capacity of a single pile in methane hydrate bearing sediments

Methane hydrate (MH) is extensively found in outer continental margins where offshore infrastructures with pile foundations are also common. The presence of MHs significantly alters the mechanical properties of the host marine sediments, and therefore affects the behavior of piles inside. This paper presents an attempt to investigate the performance of a single pile in methane hydrate bearing sands in seabed using the distinct element method. A novel bond contact model was employed for sandy grains cemented by MHs at contacts, and calibrated from the triaxial compression tests on synthetic specimens of methane hydrate bearing sands. The response of the pile subjected to axial pullout loads and lateral loads was simulated under different subsurface conditions characterized by different saturation levels of MHs. The results show that the presence of MHs increases the uplift capacity of the pile by changing the failure mode of the soils from the perimeter failure to the conical failure. The uplift capacity of the pile significantly deteriorates as a result of de-bonding, while the onset of the rapid de-bonding triggers the softening of the uplift load. In addition, the lateral capacity of the pile largely increases due to the presence of MHs. The pile in methane hydrate bearing sands is considered flexible rather than rigid as a result of the increased deformation modulus of soils due to MH cementation between particles. The lateral load–displacement diagram of the pile in methane hydrate bearing sands is not as smooth as that in clean sands with an abrupt drop associated with the onset of de-bonding.     

An SMP critical state model for methane hydrate‐bearing sands

Mechanical properties of methane hydrate‐bearing soils are complex. Their behavior undergoes a significant change when hydrates dissociate and become methane gas. On the other hand, methane hydrates are ice‐like compounds and, depending on the hydrate accumulation habits and the degree of hydrate saturation, may cement soil particles into stronger and stiffer soils. A new constitutive model is proposed that is capable of capturing essential characteristics of hydrate‐bearing soils. The core of the model includes the spatial mobilized plane concept; a transformed stress, t_ij; the critical state; and the subloading framework. The proposed model gives soil responses due to stress changes or hydrate saturation changes or both. The performance of the model has been found satisfactory, over a range of hydrate saturation and confining pressures, using triaxial test data from laboratory‐synthesized samples and from field samples extracted from Nankai Trough, Japan. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.